Ear infections in dogs is a common and painful condition. Even though dogs are far more prone to such diseases than cats, you should not ignore your kitty’s ears. A lot of times ear infections are just one of the many clinical signs of another underlying problem. If not treated on time infection can travel to middle and inner ear and can have serious consequences.
Hopefully this post will help pet owners assess the situation at an early stage to prevent distress to their pets.
There are few common reasons your pets get ear infections. -
Skin disease- Ears are a part of skin, so any health condition that affects skin can cause ear problems as well. This is by far the most common reason for pets to get ear infection. It is important to make sure your pet does not have an underlying serious health problem.
Allergies- Another common reason for ear infections. Common allergies that cause ear problems can be Environmental (like pollens, grass) Food allergy, Fleas.
Parasites-Like Ear mites, Demodex etc.
Foreign Bodies- Foxtails/grass awns/ grass-seeds are usually, but not always, a very common cause of acute ear irritation and infection in summers. Some other foreign bodies can be small toys, vegetation, mulch/tan bark etc.
Anatomy of ears- Dog with floppy ears is always going to be at a higher risk of ear infection than dog with erect ears. Closed ear flaps trap moisture and heat which gives organisms like bacteria and yeast a perfect place to grow.
Ear hair- Some furry breeds have bunches of ear hair inside the external ear canal which can trap moisture and cause irritation if not groomed well. You should always tell the groomers to remove the ear hair if your dog has it.
Lifestyle- Pets who love swimming are prone to ear infections due to excess moisture staying back. Always clean your dog’s ears after any water activity.
Licking ears- This is not a common reason but I have come across a few multi-dog households whose dogs get ear infections as they lick each others ears as a part of normal play activities. There is not a lot of research done on this but worth a mention here.
What you should be doing at home to prevent ear infection-->
- Weekly checks on your pets ears- note any smell, exudate, redness or heat.
- Note any behaviour changes- head shaking, scratching at ears, head tilt.
- Routine grooming with special attention to ear hair removal if your dog has a visible bunch of ear hair.
- Clean ears using a gentle liquid ear cleaner after any water activity like - swimming, grooming/bathing, staying outside in rain etc.
An effective way to clean the ear is to fill the ear canal with the cleaning solution, place a cotton ball in the ear canal opening, then gently massage the ear at the base to the allow the fluid go back and forth in the canal. Cotton ball will absorb excess solution and it holds onto the debris as it comes up from deeper part of external ear canal. You can clean the ear multiple times until the cotton ball comes out fairly clean. Do not use Q-Tips to clean the ear canal. - Thoroughly look at your pet’s ears and skin after outdoor activities for any foreign body.
- Using external parasite prevention routinely.
At any stage you are concerned about your dog’s ears make sure you have them checked and treated appropriately, if needed.
